Keywords: Public transportation, automobility

When researching public transportation, I came across a Reddit post that asked this question: “Why do American movies make it look like only unusual people ride public transport?” Under the post, the same user specified that they usually only see “hobos, drunks, mentally ill, shady people and weird personalities” riding buses in American films.

In one of our first class meetings, we discussed this same idea – the principle that only weirdos use public transportation. This stigma stems from class and racial discrimination that is, unfortunately, all too present in our society. People from lower income towns and racial/ethnic minorities are typically who we see using public transportation. 

This is widely due to automobility, which is the emphasis on automobiles as a primary means of transportation. In fact, the first comment under this post said, “American life is designed around the automobile.” This hit the nail right on the head. In the U.S. we have built so much around the idealized form of travel – the automobile. Because of this, we are leaving people with a lower socio-economic status and people of color behind. 

This discussion began with a simple question, and I’ll end it with a simple question: Is this what we, as Americans, want to be known for?

Katelyn DelMonico